This 2001 painting by Hamish Foote, titled ‘Allegorical triumph of Sir George’, parodies Governor George Grey as the ‘king’ of his extravagant domain. In 1862 Grey bought Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf. He imported many exotic plants and animals in an ambitious plan to transform it into an earthly paradise. His menagerie included kangaroos, wallabies, antelopes, monkeys, zebras, gnu, emus, peafowl and kookaburras.
Using this item
by Hamish Foote
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.